From 1 October 2026, updated Home Office guidance means that right-to-work checks need to cover a wider range of people working in the UK, including sole traders and workers operating through their own limited companies. Worksome has therefore extended its existing process beyond PAYE workers to all new workers carrying out work in the UK through the platform.
If you are going to carry out work in the United Kingdom through Worksome, we will ask you to complete a Right to Work check. You will receive the request when your contract is offered, giving you time to complete the check before your intended start date. This article explains what the check is, what you need to provide, and why it is important to complete it as soon as you can.
In short: open the email from Worksome as soon as it arrives and complete the check straight away. The check needs to be completed before you begin work, and leaving it until the last minute can hold up your start date and delay your payments.
What a Right to Work check is
A Right to Work check confirms that you are allowed to work in the UK before you start an engagement. It is a legal requirement in the UK, and it applies to everyone working here through the platform, including:
workers paid through PAYE;
sole traders; and
people working through their own limited company.
The check is a standard part of getting set up for your engagement. It is quick, secure, and done online in most cases.
When we will ask you to complete it
We send you a Right to Work request as soon as you are offered a contract through the platform. You will receive an email from Worksome with a link to complete the check.
Please complete the check as soon as you receive it. Completing it promptly helps avoid any delay to your start date and to your payments.
What you need to do
The process usually takes just a few minutes:
Open the email from Worksome and click the link.
Photograph your identity document.
Take a quick selfie so we can confirm the document belongs to you.
Which document to use
What you provide depends on your nationality and immigration status.
UK and Irish citizens: please use your passport. This is the quickest way to confirm your right to work.
All other workers, including EU and EEA nationals: whatever identity document you provide, you will also need to give your UK Right to Work Share Code and your date of birth. You can get a Share Code at prove your right to work.
Note: If you are not a UK or Irish citizen, a passport or national ID card on its own is not enough. We also need your Share Code and date of birth, so please have both ready before you start.
If your passport has expired, or you are not sure which document to use, please contact Worksome before you start so we can confirm the right route for you.
What happens next
UK and Irish citizens: once you have submitted your passport and selfie, the result is normally available straight away.
All other workers: once you have submitted your Share Code and all the requested information, our team will review it. We aim to complete this within one business day. Requests sent in the evening, at weekends, or where we need more information may take a little longer.
Please complete the check as soon as possible, and make sure you provide everything we ask for. The sooner you complete it, the sooner we can confirm your verification.
If you have time-limited permission to work
If your permission to work in the UK has an expiry date, we will record that date and ask you to complete a further check before it expires, so that you can keep working without interruption.
You do not need to repeat the check if you have settled status, indefinite leave to remain, or status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
How your information is used
The details you provide are used only to confirm your right to work in the UK. Your personal data is handled securely in accordance with Worksome's privacy notice.
Why it matters to complete the check early
The check needs to be completed before you begin work. Leaving it until the last minute can hold up your start date and delay your payments. If your check is still showing as outstanding close to your start date, please complete it straight away, or get in touch with us so we can help.
More information
For official UK government guidance on Right to Work checks, see the Home Office Employer's guide to right to work checks.
For more on how the verification itself works once you open the link, see Identity Verification with Didit.
Need help
If you have any questions about your Right to Work check, please contact our support team via chat or email us at hello@worksome.com. Include your name and email address so we can look into your verification status.